Moving to Argentina from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Argentina — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Argentina, you would find that Argentina is 23.9% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly ARS129,100,059 in Argentina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Guaraní and Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Argentina.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,218,000 → ARS129,100,059
To maintain the same standard of living in Argentina
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 61.5% more
Groceries
pay 28.1% more
Transportation
pay 6.3% less
Housing
pay 23.3% less
Childcare
pay 20.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.5% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Argentina, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Argentina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Argentina performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Argentina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Argentina performs significantly better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Argentina generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Argentina performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Argentina generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Buenos Aires |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 67°/52°F (19°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 64°/48°F (17°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 78°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Buenos Aires |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 84°/67°F (28.7°/19.2°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 80°/64°F (26.8°/17.7°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 73°/57°F (22.9°/13.8°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 67°/51°F (19.3°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.1°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 60°/45°F (15.3°/7.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 67°/51°F (19.3°/10.3°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 73°/56°F (22.7°/13.3°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.4°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Servicio Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Argentina. To live, work, or study long-term in Argentina, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Argentina's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Argentina
Visa Free
Argentina passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Argentina than South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Argentina run about 22% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Argentina?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary, that's around ARS32,275,015 in Argentina for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Argentina?
With 24.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Argentina can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Argentina.
Is Argentina safe for expats?
Argentina performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Argentina is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa. About 48% of people in Argentina feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Argentina compared to South Africa?
Argentina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Argentina, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Argentina scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Argentina compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Buenos Aires is 73°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Buenos Aires receives around 48.7 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Argentina?
The official languages in Argentina are Guaraní and Spanish. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Argentina
At a Glance
ZA
|
AR
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 46,245,668 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Argentine Peso (ARS) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Guaraní, Spanish |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +54 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 911 |